Wildcat Fever: Season Two
by VanessaAnnex3
Summary: With junior year nearing its close, the gang is experiencing new drama that could very well tear them apart; pregnancy, betrayal, and anger. They all must learn to grow up before they reach their senior year.
1. Preview

**Here it is; the sneak peek to season two of "Wildcat Fever". I can assure you that this season will feature more drama, romance, and more than you could imagine. I have some big plans for the season that might just keep you guessing. It premieres March 6th!**

_Gabriella stared at her growing belly in the mirror, tears running down her face. This should be the happiest time of her life, but it wasn't. At least, not completely. She was only seventeen and she was going to have a baby before she would even get to her senior year. It wasn't fair._

_Why did God choose this path for her?_

_So far, the path wasn't going smoothly._

_She thought she would have someone by her side through this pregnancy, but she didn't. Not anymore. He was gone and she had no idea where he was. Sure, he was still here physically and she saw him every day. But, his personality and his mental presence was gone. She knew he was hiding something from her, but he kept insisting that he was being honest with her._

_But, she wasn't so sure about that anymore. She wasn't sure that she could trust anyone anymore._

_She felt her baby kick as if to tell her that she could still have someone to trust in this world. Gabriella simply held her stomach and sank down to the floor in tears, feeling as if she was sinking down, instead, into a black abyss of loneliness._

* * *

_Chad stormed after Troy, watching as he shot a few baskets on the blacktop at the park. He grabbed the basketball as it sunk through the net and held it under his arm, keeping a glare on his face. _

_"You are one sick bastard, you know that?" he accused._

_Troy furrowed his brows, confused. "What are you talking about?"_

_Chad walked towards him slowly, pointing a finger at him. "You know exactly what I am talking about. You have a girlfriend that is pregnant and you are doing nothing about it."_

_Troy scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. Don't go there, Chad."_

_"Don't go there?" This was not his best friend. "Troy, what is going on with you? This isn't you."_

_Troy looked at him and laughed dryly, pushing him backwards. The basketball fell from his arm and bounced away. "Are you kidding me? You think you know who I am?"_

_"Troy..." started Chad._

_"No!" exclaimed Troy, suddenly growing hysterical as his eyes held angry fire. "You have no idea who the hell I am, Chad. You don't know me or my family! Nobody does!"_

_"Gabriella knows you," said Chad softly._

_Troy's expression changed to a dark one. "Gabriella has no fucking idea who I am. She never has and she never will."_

_Chad was speechless. This was not Troy Bolton. This was not Gabriella's boyfriend. This was a stranger. Troy Bolton would never speak this way towards Chad and would never speak like this when it came to Gabriella. _

_Who was this man?_

* * *

_Taylor stood in the full length mirror, wearing only her bra and her underwear. She turned this way and that, looking at her stomach and her breasts. One seemed to be bigger than the other. Her stomach had a slight bulge, too. _

_"Ugh," she groaned, shaking her head at her appearance._

_She knew what decision she wanted to make. She walked over to her bed and picked up the business card, staring at the name and number. She grabbed her phone and dialed the number quickly before placing her phone to her ear._

_"Hello? This is Dr. Vulner, right?" Taylor smiled. "Yes, this is Taylor McKessie. I spoke to you a few days ago in person?" She nodded. "Yes, right. I'd like to make that appointment."_

* * *

_Sharpay grabbed her duffel and stared at her room. The bed was completely made, but her favorite pillow was gone. Her closet doors were closed, but all of her clothes were packed. Her dresser held no dust, but her makeup was with her clothes. _

_This was it._

_She couldn't stay here anymore, not with her parents of all people. It wasn't a healthy place anymore and she needed to revamp her lifestyle for the better. She had already made bigger changes these past couple of months, but she needed to make this change to complete her lifestyle turnaround. _

_She shut off her bedroom lights and headed down the stairs, stopping in the middle of the foyer. She peeked around the corner into the living room, seeing her parents were arguing once again. They were pretty close to each other that she was sure it would happen again, but she didn't care anymore. She didn't want to get in the middle of it again. _

_She shook her head and left the house, making sure to slam her door on the way out. She highly doubted, though, that they would notice even that. _


	2. The Dark Side

_Summary: With junior year nearing its close, the gang is experiencing new drama that could very well tear them apart; pregnancy, betrayal, and anger. They all must learn to grow up before they reach their senior year._

_I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

_Wildcat Fever_

_The Dark Side_

Two months.

Two months since the school shooting.

Two months since Gabriella's pregnancy.

Two months since Troy had nearly been towards death.

It was a short two months, but it had been the longest time to Gabriella. Especially when it came to her relationship with Troy. He only stayed in the hospital for a week, but he had to start physical therapy immediately afterward. He would go to school and then head over to the physical therapist's building for a few hours. Gabriella would always stay with him and encourage him to try his hardest when it came to readjusting the use of his shoulder and upper body. She'd talk to him about things that happened in her classes and tell him jokes that weren't entirely funny, but they made him smile. She'd even talk to him about what she had learned about pregnancy and babies.

Pregnancy. Babies.

Gabriella sat in Troy's vehicle as they drove that morning to school. He looked pretty calm as he held her hand and drove with his other hand. She looked out the window as she began rubbing her slightly round stomach with her free palm.

"_Troy, I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you, but...I'm pregnant."_

_Troy stared at her, his breathing and his words suddenly stuck. His vital machine suddenly began beeping faster as it kept up with his heart rate. Not wanting the nurses to come rushing in and interrupt their conversation, he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Though, he was still nervous._

_Gabriella watched him with pursed lips, anxiously awaiting his response. But, he was silent. "Troy, please say something."_

_Troy scoffed lightly. "Gabriella, what am I supposed to say? I mean, you're...pregnant." He paused. "How did this happen?"_

"_Well, obviously we had sex without protection. I don't even remember when it happened. I think it was that one week where we didn't really stop," explained Gabriella, trying to lighten the situation._

_Troy chuckled lightly and sighed heavily, rubbing his face with both hands. He frowned. "Pregnant. We're only teenagers. We aren't even close to graduation yet. I have plans for college. I..."_

_Gabriella nodded and stood up, suddenly crying. She should have expected this from Troy. He had potential. Having a baby would not give him that potential. "I get it."_

_Troy looked at her with furrowed brows. "What?"_

_She wiped at her eyes with trembling hands. "You don't want this baby. You don't want it with me. It could ruin your future and you know that. It was a mistake, obviously. I mean, I could get an abortion. Or, we could just end this relationship now and somebody can adopt this baby."_

"_Woah, woah, woah." Troy sat up, wincing at the pain in his shoulder. "Gabriella, why are you saying all of this?"_

"_It's true from your reaction! It's not like I should have expected you to be happy about this!" exclaimed Gabriella._

_Troy sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "Gabriella, come here. Please."_

_Gabriella went back over to his bed cautiously and sat next to him. She accepted his hand as he held it gently, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles._

"_Gabriella, you have it all wrong. I didn't want you to take my reaction as a bad thing." He sighed and squeezed her hand gently, smiling. "Everything happens for a reason and there is a reason that we have this baby. So, I'm happy. We're meant to be together, Gabriella. Whatever comes our way is meant to be."_

_He unclasped her hand and placed it on her flat stomach. "This baby is ours. I'll love it as much as I love you."_

_Gabriella smiled through her tears and nodded, kissing him on the lips gently. They kept their foreheads together as Troy wiped away her tears. "Thank you."_

"Hey." Gabriella came out of her reverie as Troy squeezed her pants leg. "You okay? You were staring into space."

Gabriella nodded and smiled. "Yeah. I was just thinking back to when I told you about the pregnancy."

He smiled and looked down at her belly. "Yeah? I think about that day a lot."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "And future days with him."

Gabriella giggled. "You think our baby will be a boy?"

Troy shrugged. "Yeah. I can picture it now. Teaching my boy the game of sports and how to fix a car at the age of three."

"_Three_?!" Gabriella laughed. "Troy, you're crazy. How far are we from school?"

Troy paused before stifling a laugh. "Gabriella, we've been in the parking lot for nearly ten minutes."

Gabriella looked out the window to see students chatting and walking toward the school entrance. "Oh." She opened her door and got out, trying to discreetly hold her stomach.

Troy rushed out of the vehicle and grabbed her bag. "Woah, hey. Be careful."

"What?" Gabriella looked at him strangely.

"I just don't want the baby or you to get hurt by too much weight. You could have tripped too," said Troy, walking with her towards school.

Gabriella rolled her eyes and smiled. "Troy, it's okay. I'm only three months into my pregnancy. I'm not going to break anything."

"Well, still." Troy opened the door for her and smiled as she walked through. He couldn't help but stare at her curves. "Plus, have I told you how sexy you look while pregnant?"

She smirked and looked at him. "Only about a thousand times since I told you."

"You know one of the greatest perks about you being pregnant?" asked Troy, leaning against her neighbor locker.

"Hopefully not the morning sickness," giggled Gabriella, rummaging through her locker.

Troy leaned toward her ear and whispered, "Your hormones."

Gabriella bit her bottom lip with a smile. She had to admit it. She definitely liked that part of her pregnancy. Since the said pregnancy, she and Troy had been going at it like rabbits. "Oh, yeah."

He kissed below her ear and grinned. "I especially like it when you..."

"Okay!" Gabriella covered his mouth and looked around, seeing none of the students had bothered to listen in on their conversation.

The bell suddenly rang and she shut her locker, grabbing her bag from Troy. "I'm going to be late for class. Walk with me?"

Troy hooked a thumb over his shoulder casually. "I have to use the restroom real quick. I'll see you after class, okay?"

Gabriella nodded and pecked his lips. "Okay. Don't forget the cold water."

He laughed at her sexual innuendo. "Oh, real nice. I love you."

"I love you too," said Gabriella, smiling as she walked away.

Troy walked down the hallway and cut a corner towards the bathroom, locking himself in a stall. He took off his backpack and opened up the zipper pocket, producing a silver flask. He flicked it open and poured the whiskey down his throat slowly. He put it back in his backpack, making sure it was secure and closed tightly.

He paused for a moment and licked his lips, flushing the toilet for effect and walking out of the stall casually as he exhaled with nonchalance. He then walked out of the bathroom after checking his reflection and headed to class.

* * *

It was like a tennis match.

Back and forth. Back and forth.

Their heads kept going back and forth, their gazes matching in a teasing stance. It was starting to get on Taylor's nerves, more so Chad as well. After they had gone home from the school and the shooting, they decided to go home together. They simply talked about their worries with Troy and Gabriella and each other. Since then, they had gotten back on track with talking and not avoiding each other.

They weren't back together, though.

It was driving them nuts, too. They still liked each other, but they didn't know what to do. Chad was still not sure about Taylor's behavior and her past. Taylor was still not sure if Chad even wanted her. But, she had a good feeling.

She looked away from the teacher and glanced over at Chad next to her, holding a slight smirk. He was looking really good today with his blue jeans and red sweater. It made him look extra cozy.

Chad suddenly smiled, feeling a pair of familiar eyes on him. He looked over at Taylor and caught her gaze, keeping his smile on her face. She looked away after a few seconds, but kept a smile on her face as she watched the teacher. He shook his head and looked at the teacher, too.

Though, his thoughts were completely somewhere else.

He really liked Taylor. But, he had no idea what to do about it. He wanted to be with her, but he was afraid that it wouldn't work out. She had so many secrets, but he was pretty sure he was nearly over that. But, what if she had more secrets? What if she was a compulsive liar?

No. He knew for sure she wasn't a compulsive liar. Everyone had secrets, though. He had had a few secrets in the past. It was human nature. But, she had finally revealed her secrets. It was high school, too. All students had a dirty past.

He discreetly ripped out a piece of notebook paper and scribbled a note on it before passing it over to Taylor.

Taylor unfolded the paper and read the note, a smile growing back on her face.

_Meet me in the library during free period._

* * *

Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek as he walked over to the lunch table with his food. He stopped, though, when he noticed Chad looking over his shoulder. He followed his gaze and noticed Taylor smiling at Chad. He chuckled and sat next to Chad, patting him on the shoulder.

"Well, well, well. How are things going with your girlfriend?" he asked with a smirk.

Chad chuckled and looked away from Taylor, shaking his head. "No. We aren't together."

Troy furrowed his brows as he unwrapped his cheeseburger from the foil. "Excuse me? How long are you guys going to play this game?"

"We aren't playing a game," said Chad. "We still like each other...I think? I like her a lot, man. I don't know if she likes me."

Troy started laughing. "Are you serious? A blind guy could see that she likes you."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Okay, I get it. I told her to meet me in the library during free period, though."

"Dude, nice." They slapped hands together. "What are you going to say?"

"I don't know yet. What do you think I should say?" asked Chad.

"How about you start with saying..." He grabbed his water bottle and used it as a pretend microphone. "Taylor, I like you so much. Please be with me. I can't live without you."

Chad shoved Troy and laughed. "Dick."

* * *

Gabriella glanced at Taylor in the lunch line with a smile. "You have been making googly eyes at Chad for quite some time."

Taylor looked at her friend and shrugged. It was nice to be able to talk to Gabriella again. They managed to put everything in the past and start anew. So far, so good. "And?"

"When are you going to make your move?" asked Gabriella, nudging her shoulder as she looked through the variety of fruit.

"I don't know." She paused. "He gave me a note."

Gabriella gasped and grinned. "A note? What did it say?"

"He wants to meet me in the library during free period," said Taylor, chewing on her thumbnail nervously. "I think he wants to be with me."

"Oh!" Gabriella squealed and jumped up and down, hugging her friend.

Taylor laughed and pulled her back. "Woah! Calm down or you are going to give birth to an alien."

Gabriella giggled. "I'm just so happy for you. You guys are so into each other and it's about time you get back together."

"Thanks." Taylor smiled as they walked over to the table. "So, how is your pregnancy going?"

Gabriella sat next to Troy and kissed his cheek as Taylor sat in between Troy and Chad. "It's going well. I don't really have morning sickness anymore. I'm just waiting for that first kick."

"Isn't it still supposed to look like a tadpole right now?" asked Chad, sipping at his soda.

"Nice," muttered Troy, shaking his head.

Gabriella giggled. "I guess. But, I can still look forward to it."

Taylor smiled in agreement and looked over at Chad, suddenly becoming enveloped in a conversation with him. Troy chuckled and looked at Gabriella, touching her knee gently. "I think we have been ignored."

"I think so," said Gabriella, giggling. "I have a doctor's appointment next week for the official four month sonogram."

"Next week is the beginning of February, right?" asked Troy.

"Yeah. Maybe we can know the gender," she grinned.

Troy leaned towards her lips and smiled. "You know I'll be there, baby."

* * *

Gabriella walked into the bathroom that afternoon after leaving her last class for the day. She was excited to go home with Troy, like she did every day. Since her mother left unexpectedly to an unknown location, Lucille took it upon herself to take care of Gabriella. So, she moved out of her home and moved into the guest bedroom at the Bolton household. It was just her, Lucille, and Troy. It was always peaceful and fun.

Granted, Gabriella still thought about her mother. When she got the news that her mother had left, she wasn't that surprised. It wasn't the first time she had left. When Gabriella was fourteen, her mother had left for about five months before returning. Gabriella didn't ask any questions. She figured it wouldn't be the last time.

Lucille helped Gabriella with the pregnancy. She made sure Gabriella had prenatal vitamins and lotion to protect her skin from stretch marks. She went over baby books with her and taught her techniques when it came to giving birth.

When Gabriella and Troy had told Lucille about the pregnancy, she was honestly outraged. She yelled at them for a while about being irresponsible and lectured them about the aftermath of pregnancy and having a baby at a young age. Then, she calmed down and reassured the couple that she would help them in any way possible. She started by helping Gabriella get a part time job at a restaurant. Lucille was good friends with the manager, so it was easy to get the job in the first place. Troy also got a job at a fitness center, which he really liked because he had a great interest in the subject firsthand.

Troy and Gabriella were dedicated to giving their baby a good life. They had talks when it came to adoption and abortion, but they both agreed that they wanted to keep their baby. They didn't really like the thought of killing it nor did they want it out of their lives. So, after much thinking, they agreed with Lucille that they wanted to keep the baby.

Gabriella looked in the mirror and lifted up her shirt, staring at her belly. It wasn't too noticeable, but it had a certain roundness to it. She rubbed her belly and smiled lightly. She was excited to have this baby. It was her's and Troy's creation. They were young, but they were dedicated to giving it a good life.

"Oh my God."

Gabriella gasped and turned around to see Sharpay staring at her reflection in the mirror. Particularly her belly. "Sharpay."

"You're pregnant?" asked Sharpay, walking towards her slowly in shock. "Whose is it?"

"Troy's. Obviously," she scoffed, letting go of her shirt. "Why do you care?"

Sharpay sighed. "Gabriella, I'm not jealous or angry. I'm just surprised. Are you keeping it?"

Gabriella crossed her arms over her chest and nodded. "Yes. We are."

"Can I help?" asked Sharpay, clasping her hands together nervously.

Gabriella stifled a laugh and scoffed in disbelief. "Excuse me? Who are you and what have you done with Sharpay?"

Sharpay smiled. "Gabriella, I know we got off to a rough patch. But, you have to believe me with this."

Gabriella kept her mouth shut and listened to Sharpay, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"There is more to life than being...a bitch about everything," started Sharpay, laughing lightly at the term. "I don't want to be that kind of person. It's not worth it. I need to be more mature about life and I want to start fresh with everybody, including you and Troy. I want to help you guys with the baby. I can get you guys a crib, baby clothes, anything you need. I'll even quiz you on baby terms!"

Gabriella couldn't help but giggle and shook her head, exhaling heavily. "Sharpay, this side of you is really strange. It's hard for me to believe, but..." She sighed again. "I'll give it a shot."

Sharpay smiled and nodded, holding Gabriella's hands. "Great!"

"If you screw things up, then I won't want you around us anymore. Got it?" warned Gabriella.

"I understand. You can trust me," reassured Sharpay.

* * *

Troy leaned against his vehicle in the parking lot, watching as the students began leaving the school. He looked around for a moment before reaching into his backpack and unzipping the side pouch. He pulled out his flask and discreetly took a swig of whiskey before putting it back inside the pouch securely.

"Troy!"

He jumped in fright and turned to see Gabriella walking towards him, smiling. He smiled in hidden relief. "Hey, baby."

Gabriella pecked his lips. "Ready to go?"

Troy watched her get into the truck and checked to make sure his pouch was zipped securely before nodding. "Ready."


	3. Snapped

_Summary: With junior year nearing its close, the gang is experiencing new drama that could very well tear them apart; pregnancy, betrayal, and anger. They all must learn to grow up before they reach their senior year._

_I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

_Wildcat Fever_

_Snapped_

"So, guess what happened at school today?" asked Gabriella, leaning against Troy's chest as he held her in the treehouse.

After dinner with Lucille that consisted of one amazing pasta salad, Troy and Gabriella decided to spend time alone for the evening up at the treehouse. So, in order for it to be more romantic and soothing for her, Troy decided to plant small tea candles and blankets on the treehouse floor. It definitely made Gabriella feel more comfortable.

"What?" Troy rubbed her belly softly, kissing the back of her head.

Gabriella stifled a laugh. "Sharpay wants to help us with the baby."

Troy's chuckle vibrated against Gabriella's back. "Are you kidding me? Why?"

"She wants to turn over a new leaf. She said she felt bad about herself. She doesn't want to be a bitch anymore," explained Gabriella.

"Do you trust her?" asked Troy curiously.

Gabriella took a beat before answering. "I don't know. I mean, she seemed pretty genuine. I told her that she can help, but she is gone if she screws up."

"Agreed," laughed Troy. He sighed softly and started rubbing her belly again. "Do you think we can do it? Care for a baby during our senior year?"

Gabriella shrugged. "I don't know. I hope so."

"Well, I think we would be awesome parents," boasted Troy.

"Oh really?" she giggled.

"Hell, yeah. We'll be in the hall of fame!" he exclaimed.

"No, you will be in the hall of fame for basketball." Gabriella grinned and snuggled closer to his body.

Troy's smile fell as his mind suddenly did a 180. He began thinking about his father, how much he had pressured him into basketball, and the shooting. He could hear his father's screams and the sound of the gunshot going off. He could even feel the pain in his shoulder as the bullet went through his body. The worst part was the sound of Gabriella screaming his name when he had fallen to the ground. The thought that he wouldn't see her again?

It scared him.

"Hey." He broke from his reverie. "Are you okay?"

He nodded and gave her a small smile. "I'm fine."

Gabriella didn't believe him, but she decided to let it go for now. "How is your shoulder doing? I mean, therapy is over right?"

"Yeah. It is still kind of sore, but it feels better."

"Good. Have you heard from Jack?" she asked.

Troy furrowed his brows. "Why would I hear from my dad?"

"I don't know. I just..."

"No. I never want to hear from him again. He's a bastard," growled Troy, letting go of Gabriella and standing up. He stormed over to the railing and looked out at the night sky.

Gabriella cautiously stood up and fiddled with her fingers nervously. Troy never really snapped at her. With it being the first, it sort of scared her. "Sorry."

Troy turned to look at her and sighed at her demeanor. He walked over to her and put his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you, baby."

She nodded and looked up at him. "I know. It's been a stressful few months and we are both still trying to get over it. But, don't forget." She placed his hand on her belly with a smile. "We get to have our own redemption, Troy."

He nodded with a smile. "Yes." He leaned towards her lips. "Now, why don't we take advantage of this pregnancy and your hormones, hmm?"

Gabriella giggled as he kissed her, bringing them both down gently on the blankets. This was their growing family and, honestly, what could be better?

* * *

Taylor could barely focus on her homework. It should be easy to figure out the simple definition of photosynthesis. Hell, it was staring her right in the face from her textbook. But, her mind couldn't be further from science right now. No, her mind was consumed with only one event.

_Taylor went into the library and shut the heavy door behind her back, glancing around. It was nearly empty except for the librarian, the teenager studying at the table, and one freshman trying to find a nonfiction book for her book report._

_Where was Chad?_

_She was sure that she was here at the right time. It was free period. But, where could he be?_

_She heard somebody clear their throat and smirked, walking casually and slowly towards the history section. She could see the tell-tale sign of the afro on the other side of the shelf. She pretended to walk to the corner, perusing the thick books on The Civil War._

_She felt his presence behind her as he leaned towards her ear. "Very subtle."_

_Taylor bit her lip nervously and smiled, turning to face him. "Hi."_

_Chad smiled at her. He didn't fail to notice how close they were. "Hey. I'm glad you could make it."_

"_Me too," said Taylor. "So, what do you want to talk about?"_

"_Well," he started. "I don't really want to do much talking."_

_Taylor blushed, catching his drift. "Oh. Okay."_

"_But, I don't want to start anything until I know that there can still be something to start," said Chad, pursing his lips._

_Taylor's heart was pounding as she looked down, afraid to meet his gaze for fear that she would be speechless. "I thought you didn't trust me."_

_Chad lifted her chin up gently so their eyes met. "Everybody has a sketchy past. It doesn't mean that it should stick. And, I'm willing to let go if you are so we can start fresh. What do you say? Will you be my girlfriend?"_

_Taylor thought she'd never hear those words from Chad, but there they were. And, here she was. It was reality. "Yes. Yes, Chad."_

"_Great!" exclaimed Chad, gripping her waist and kissing her as they hid their bodies in between the vacant bookshelves._

Taylor chewed on her pencil and grinned, shaking her head. She needed to get to work. She could stop thinking about Chad for at least an hour. Or less.

* * *

Troy walked on to the blacktop that night, staring up at the night sky and the stars. The moon was shining, too. It illuminated his face as he looked towards it peacefully. It was a pretty chilly night, but he managed to stay covered in a gray sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants. His eyes were pretty tired, but he couldn't sleep much.

He lifted the silver flask to his lips and drank from it, letting the whiskey burn his throat. He stared at the basketball hoop and the lone basketball that sat near it. He shook his head and kicked it hard with his foot, letting it bounce against the pole and collide with the fence. It stopped rolling near his feet. Troy drank from the flask again.

He didn't care where his dad was. For all he knew, he could be across the country forgetting about him. He made his life a living hell and he didn't want to deal with that anymore. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to deal with basketball anymore. Sure, he wanted to play it for fun. But, professionally? No way.

He touched his shoulder and felt the permanent scar on his skin. It made him sick as he took another drink from the flask. His shoulder didn't hurt, but the memory was still embedded. His own father shot him and he disappeared. No apology, no nothing.

He started to think about the fact that he was going to be a father. Him. Troy Bolton. He was going to have a baby before he graduated. How was he going to manage that? The thought of it all made him take another swig of whiskey.

"Damn," he muttered. He looked up at the sky again. "Jeremy, you need to be here."

Now he was thinking about his brother?

"Shit," he cursed, chuckling dryly as he began to gulp down the rest of his whiskey in one sip.

* * *

Gabriella hugged her jacket around her body as she sighed heavily, checking her watch. The bell was going to ring in thirty minutes and it took her and Troy fifteen minutes to get into the parking lot. They were going to be late.

She had woken up at her regular time and went into Troy's bedroom, hoping to give him a good morning kiss. But, he wasn't there. His bed was messy, but he was nowhere in the house. Lucille wasn't home, either. She figured she was out of town for a meeting or something, so she was by herself. Now, she had been waiting at Troy's truck for nearly forty-five minutes.

She turned when she heard footsteps and saw Troy coming out of the house, looking worse for wear. His hair was slightly ruffled, his pants were sagging, and his shirt was wrinkled. He could barely keep his eyes open. He walked by her without even noticing her presence.

"Hello? Pregnant girlfriend here?" No response. "Where were you? You weren't in the house when I went to find you?"

Troy looked at her as she got in the passenger seat. "Checking up on me now?"

"Excuse me?" asked Gabriella, furrowing her brows at his attitude. "Sorry. I mean, you were out late obviously. Where did you go?"

"None of your business," snapped Troy. "Let's just get to school already."

"Troy, I..."

"Just leave it!" he shouted, glaring at her before starting the vehicle.

Gabriella shook her head and scoffed, turning away from him. Obviously, he woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Where ever that was.

* * *

Taylor was sitting with Chad at the table, flirting, when a loud slam knocked her back to reality. She jumped and turned to see a very angry and pregnant Gabriella next to her with her lunch tray. She glanced at Chad before turning to Troy.

"Everything okay?" asked Taylor, trying to smile casually.

Gabriella scoffed with angry brows. "Chad, your friend is an asshole."

Chad winced at her language. "What are you talking about?"

"You know that he was out all night last night? He looked pretty _tired_, if you know what I mean."

Taylor gasped. "Wait. You mean…?"

"He went out drinking last night?" asked Chad, shaking his head. This was not the Troy he knew.

Sure, Troy drank a few beers at parties. But, he never drank outside of parties. He had a pregnant girlfriend and drinking late at night wasn't somebody that a child could look up to. It really shocked Chad.

"You know what else? I asked him simply where he was last night and he basically growled in my face," she recounted.

Chad shook his head and sneered. "He is really going to get it this afternoon. I can't believe he would do that."

"What's been going on, anyway?" asked Taylor.

Gabriella shrugged, barely eating her food. "I don't know, okay? I think he might be stressed about the shooting and his father. Every time I ask him about it, he just snaps at me. It's scary, but it worries me. Something is wrong."

"That's for sure," said Chad, sighing. "I'll talk to him this afternoon. We're going to practice at the park today."

Gabriella scoffed again, tossing her fork on the table. "Jeez."

"What?" asked Taylor.

"I had asked him if he wanted to go baby shopping this afternoon and he said he didn't want to. He had to work on a project or something," she explained softly, feeling tears brim her eyes. The lies were starting again.

Chad chuckled dryly. "He is really going to get it. Damn him."

Gabriella turned away from them and sighed, letting a tear fall from her cheek. She watched discreetly as Troy completely bypassed their table, not even giving Gabriella a second glance. He walked out of the lunchroom and was out of sight.

What was happening to them?

* * *

Troy looked up at the basketball hoop and barely made the basket, letting the basketball roll away. He watched as it reached Chad's feet. Chad picked it up, but kept it in his hands. "Hey."

"Hey. Hand it here," said Troy, holding out his hand.

"No. Not yet. I need to talk to you," said Chad.

"What about?" asked Troy, crossing his arms over his chest.

Chad furrowed his brows in concentration. "Were you mean to Gabriella this morning?"

He furrowed his brows at Chad and laughed lightly. "No. Why would I be?"

"Gabriella said that you snapped at her when she asked you what you did last night. You looked pretty _tired_," started Chad. He walked closer to Troy. "Did you drink last night?"

Troy didn't even hesitate. "What if I did?"

Chad scoffed. "Troy, are you stupid? You have a pregnant girlfriend who needs to be taken care of. You can't be drinking…"

"Who said I can't drink? I'm a teenager, Chad!" Troy held his arms out for emphasis as he grinned. "I'm supposed to have fun! One baby is not going to change that. One baby is _not _going to change me, Chad."

Chad barely hesitated as he punched Troy in the jaw, glaring at him. "You jackass."

Troy clutched his jaw and shook his head, surprised. "Why the hell did you punch me?"

"You are being a real dick." He watched as Troy grabbed a flask from his pocket and prepared to take a sip. Chad grabbed it angrily. "Dude!"

"What?!" shouted Troy, glaring at him angrily. "Give it back!"

"Quit drinking! It's not good for you, Gabriella, or the baby!" exclaimed Chad. "Do you really think Gabriella is going to want you if you keep acting like this?"

Troy shook his head and chuckled, snatching the flask out of Chad's hand and walking passed him. "I'm leaving. You're just talking crap."

"Excuse me?" Chad watched him leave. "Troy!"

* * *

Troy grumbled as he walked into the house twenty minutes later, muttering incoherent curses at Chad. Who did he think he was? Chad had no right to tell him how to live his life or how to even prepare for his life with Gabriella and the baby.

Gabriella.

Everything he said about her and their baby was a lie. Nothing was going to change him. He was still going to do whatever the hell he wanted.

He stopped, seeing a figure in the bathroom. He peered through the crack of the door to see Gabriella staring at her belly while rubbing lotion on the skin. He put his hands in his pockets and just watched her. She looked troubled.

"I know you are watching me," she murmured, refusing to meet his eyes as she continued to rub lotion on her skin.

Troy rolled his eyes and walked away towards the backyard, grabbing his basketball. He knew she was following him, but he refused to turn around and face her. "Following me?"

Gabriella scoffed, placing her hands on her hips. "You're damn right I am. What is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem," he muttered, dribbling the ball on the court.

She chuckled dryly and shook her head, running a hand through her hair. "Troy, you are making it really difficult for me to be around you."

"Then don't be around me. I'm not making you stick around. It's not like that thing is keeping us together," said Troy, glaring at her.

Gabriella was taken aback by his comments. She held her belly self-consciously. "I can't believe you said that. Our baby is a _thing _to you? This baby is a part of us, Troy. It's not forcing us to be together." She paused. "I am still with you because I love you, Troy. Then again, you don't need to be with me if you don't love me."

Troy's brain and heart suddenly began to sober up as he listened to Gabriella's words. She was right. So was Chad. He was being a jerk, especially with the alcohol. But, she thought he didn't love her?

"Gabriella, I do love you. Why would you even think that I don't?"

"Oh, I don't know. You've been snapping at me," she started, suddenly tearing up as her voice broke. "You've been just plain nasty and I hate this side of you. We have a baby on the way, Troy. I can't handle this kind of damage."

Troy dropped the basketball and enveloped her into his arms, sighing softly into her hair as they held each other. He didn't want her to think that he didn't love her. He was madly in love with her and there was no denying that. Not even the alcohol could get rid of that.

But, he didn't want to tell her that he had a problem with his drinking. He knew he had a problem, but he knew he could stop. He had limits at parties and he could set a limit with this. He needed to get better and be better for Gabriella and their baby.

"Look, I'm sorry for all of this." He pulled back and looked at her, keeping his arms around her. "I've just been so stressed because of the shooting, my dad, and the baby. I don't want to hurt you anymore, Gabriella. I still want to be with you forever, Gabriella. I want us to raise our baby together."

"You do?" she murmured, smiling lightly as he wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Of course. I still have plans to teach our little boy a few things about sports," he smirked.

Gabriella giggled and sighed, pressing her cheek to his chest. "Oh, gosh. This has been such a stressful day. Can we take a bath?"

Troy smiled and led her into the house. "Maybe. Hot water, naked bodies, soapy bubbles?"

Gabriella hummed in appreciation as they walked towards the bathroom. "Oh, yeah."

Troy chuckled and shut the bathroom door, slowly removing her clothes for her as he kissed each part of her revealing skin. In a matter of seconds, their clothes were off and there was an immense amount of bubbles and hot water in the tub.

Troy rubbed her belly in the water as they leaned against each other in the tub and the hot water. "How do you feel?"

"Calm," murmured Gabriella, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against his chest.

Troy began kissing the side of her neck softly. "Want me to make you even calmer?"

Gabriella giggled and looked at him. "That doesn't make much sense."

Troy shrugged. "It does to me."

Gabriella giggled as he began kissing all over her skin, splashing water all over the floor as their bodies joined together in a soothing reunion.


	4. The Stranger Underneath

_Summary: With junior year nearing its close, the gang is experiencing new drama that could very well tear them apart; pregnancy, betrayal, and anger. They all must learn to grow up before they reach their senior year._

_I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

_Wildcat Fever_

_The Stranger Underneath_

Finally, the weekend was here.

Since that evening, Troy and Gabriella had been on better terms. Troy still hadn't revealed to her the extent of his drinking problem, though he was cutting back. It was like he was trying to quit cold turkey. He still had his flask, but he hadn't taken a drink since that day. Honestly, it made his body feel funny, but he needed to be good for Gabriella and their baby. They had a baby appointment soon and he was eager to see if they could find out the sex, though they both highly doubted it because she was still in her first trimester.

They both arrived at school that Friday morning and held hands as they walked up the school together, both talking about what they believed was a kick from the baby instead of Gabriella's stomach growling or something.

"It felt like a kick to me!" exclaimed Gabriella.

Troy shrugged. "Isn't it still supposed to look like an alien?"

"Hey!" Gabriella lightly hit his chest. "That alien is your son or daughter."

"Son," confirmed Troy, smirking at the thought.

"I want a daughter," said Gabriella, opening up her locker.

"Too many girls," complained Troy.

"If we have a son, I'd never hear the end of sports. We'd have to live at the Staples center or something," said Gabriella, wincing at the thought.

"Really?!" Troy grinned broadly.

"I was kidding," giggled Gabriella, looking up at him as she leaned back against her locker. "You're so cute."

Troy smiled down at her and got closer to her body. He placed a hand on the locker next to her head and kept the other hand on her waist. "You're beautiful."

Their lips met each other as Gabriella's hormones and Troy's attraction to her ignited together in a blazing fire. They didn't really care that they were in school right now. Kissing and making love while pregnant was absolutely amazing.

Until it got interrupted.

"Ew. Okay, save that for a janitor's closet," cringed Sharpay, approaching them with Chad and Taylor.

Troy kept his hands on Gabriella's body as he rolled his eyes. "Whatever. What's up?"

Sharpay grinned and turned to Taylor. "Party at your house tonight!"

Taylor felt like she was literally going to laugh in her face. "Excuse me?"

"Come on! You have a great place, right?"

"I guess, but…"

Sharpay interrupted her. "We need to throw a party. We haven't had one in like…" She gasped. "Oh my gosh! Two weeks!"

"Why can't you have it at your house?" asked Chad, putting an arm around Taylor's shoulders.

Sharpay faltered a bit, but shrugged and flipped her hair behind her back. "They have their own social planned or something. I don't know. We just need to have it at Taylor's house."

Taylor pondered it for a moment. "Well, my parents are away for the weekend. I guess we could have it there."

Sharpay squealed. "Oh great! I'll make sure to tell everyone!"

Taylor was about to protest telling everyone, but she was already gone. She sighed and shrugged, looking at Gabriella and Troy. "Are you guys coming?"

"I'm not," said Gabriella, shaking her head.

Troy looked down at her with furrowed brows. "Why not?"

Gabriella giggled lightly. "Troy, I'm pregnant. All of that smell from the alcohol and the smoke isn't good for the baby."

"Oh, right." Troy nodded and smiled at her. "Well, we can just stay home tonight and watch a movie or something."

"No, Troy. You go. Have fun. I really want to catch up on my homework and rest a little. I think my feet are starting to swell," she murmured, grimacing at the thought.

"Are you sure? I can stay home with you, baby." Troy caressed her cheek gently.

Gabriella bit her bottom lip. She loved it when Troy touched her and cared for her body like it was a work of art. But, she couldn't be a tyrant. Not yet. "As much as I would desperately enjoy you all over me, I need to study. You go have fun."

"Okay, if you say so."

"I do say so," she smiled.

Troy smiled back at her as the bell rang. He held her hand close to his chest. "Let's get to class, my beautiful girlfriend."

"You guys make me gag," said Chad, following them before he began whispering sweet and ironic comments in Taylor's ear.

* * *

It was a mess.

There were at least three kegs scattered around the house and the backyard. There were ten coolers total filled with beer and soda. Somebody was selling drugs outside. One group was smoking pot in the living room. Half of the space upstairs was filled with horny couples. And, to make matters worse, somebody had started a body shot game in the dining room with naked girls lying on the table.

Taylor chewed on her thumb as she looked around. To say she was scared was an understatement. She was beyond terrified that her parents would come home Sunday and find out somehow that she had a massive party. She would be grounded and she wouldn't be able to see Chad until her graduation…from college!

"Hey." Sharpay touched her arm, causing Taylor to jump. She had a red cup in her hand and handed it to Taylor. "Will you lighten up? This party is great!"

"Easy for you to say. I'm just lucky that nobody is teasing me for that one party," glared Taylor.

Sharpay put her hands up in defense. "Hey, everybody is over it because I told them to get over it. Now, have fun. This party is just getting started."

"What?"

"Hey, everybody!" shouted Sharpay. "Let's play seven minutes in heaven!"

People began shouting as they formed a circle in the middle of the living room, still drinking and still smoking. Chad came up to Taylor and put his arm around her. "Come on. Let's play. It might take your mind off of things."

Taylor caught her breath as Chad nibbled on her earlobe. "Okay."

They sat together in the circle, but before the game could even get started, Sharpay barged over to them and stood them up. "Okay, you two. Everybody is still confused on whether or not you guys are even together so you need to go first and prove it to us."

"Prove what?" asked Taylor as she shuffled over to the closet with Chad.

They both looked at her from the closet. "Prove to us that you are still hot for each other. I mean, the sexual tension is practically coming off of you."

The door shut, wrapping them in darkness. Chad looked at Taylor and chuckled, watching her fidget. "What is wrong?"

"This is so crazy. I don't throw parties. I'm not popular. I'm not good enough for any of this," she explained frantically.

"Hey." Chad touched her cheek. "I know you are good enough for me. You are more than good enough for me."

She looked at him and sighed. "Really?"

"Really. Now, let's just forget about those people and focus on each other," he smirked, getting closer to her as he nuzzled her nose.

Taylor grinned and nodded, taking his lips with hers as they collided together against the coat rack.

Maybe the party wasn't that bad.

* * *

Gabriella walked out of the bathroom after taking a relaxing bubble bath, finding Lucille sitting at the kitchen island with a cookbook in her hand. She smiled and sat next to her. She had grown really close to Lucille ever since her own mother left. Lucille taught her so many things about the pregnancy and how to properly care for another human being. She was grateful to have Lucille every day.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Lucille sighed. "Oh, just trying to figure out dinner for tonight. Where is Troy?"

"He is at some party." She looked at Lucille's wary expression. "Don't worry. I told him to go. He promised he would be responsible."

"He better not come home drunk. That wouldn't really be father material," she grimaced.

Gabriella paused, chewing on her bottom lip. "Have you heard from Jack?"

She shook her head and shut the book. "Nope. I couldn't care less. He just needs to stay far away from us. He is nothing but trouble."

"That's for sure," murmured Gabriella, rolling her eyes.

Lucille watched as Gabriella rubbed her belly protectively. "I can already tell you will be a wonderful mother."

"Really? Sometimes I worry that I will be too overbearing or too lenient with the baby," she said.

"No mother is perfect, Gabriella." Lucille smiled sadly. "Jeremy was a good kid. And, I'm glad Troy had him to look up to. It's still hard every day considering he is gone. But, his spirit is still with me. Sometimes I still try and be a good mother to him."

"What was Jeremy like as a child?" asked Gabriella.

"Oh, he was a wild thing. He would run around with his cape pretending he was a superhero. He would try to save ants from being crushed on the ground or he would see a stray dog and bring it to the house because he was afraid it would get run over. Jeremy was one smart kid." She paused. "When we had Troy, Jeremy was all over him. He vowed from day one to be the best big brother. And, he was. He gave Troy advice about life and girls in general. I say it worked out all right." She glanced at Gabriella with a smile.

Gabriella giggled. "Do you think Jeremy would have liked me?"

"I _know _he would have loved you," she said, putting an arm around her.

They both sighed before Lucille spoke up. "You know what? Let's order a pizza and watch some Ryan Gosling, huh?"

"That sounds perfect," said Gabriella, smiling as she watched Lucille grab the phone to order the pizza.

Gabriella glanced down at her belly and rubbed it gently, smiling. "I promise to always protect you."

* * *

Chad and Taylor could barely keep their hands off of each other after their little escapade in the closet. All they did was kiss, but when the closet door had opened, it was safe to say that the entire school now knew what their status was.

After that, Chad whisked Taylor away to one of the bedrooms. He wasn't sure if he wanted to have sex with her yet, but he just wanted to be close to her. Whatever happened, happened. He had protection either way.

Chad rubbed her bare waist as he kissed her neck, feeling Taylor's hands on his bare back. She was only in her bra and jeans and he was only in his shorts. "Taylor…"

Taylor ran her fingers through his curls with a smile. "You are really good at this, you know."

Chad laughed and looked at her. He stroked her cheek gently and just looked into her eyes. His heart was pounding and it felt like he had butterflies in his stomach. He had never felt like this before towards anyone. This wasn't some fling to him. This was more.

"Taylor, I…"

"_Troy! Troy! Troy! Troy!"_

They both looked towards the closed door, hearing the commotion that was downstairs. Chad furrowed his brows. "What the hell?"

"Should we go check it out?" asked Taylor, worried about what might be going on.

"Stay here, okay? I'll be back," he promised, kissing her once before throwing his shirt back on.

He walked out of the room, making sure to shut the door behind him. He ventured downstairs and tried to find where the commotion was coming from. He finally noticed a circle of people surrounding the dining room table. He kept hearing cat calls and Troy's name being chanted. Chad was worried that he was going to find something that would not be good at all.

He pushed through the crowd and stood there in shock at what he was seeing. Troy's shirt was off and his lips were in between two bare breasts that was covered with salt and liquor. On the girl's neck was a lime wedge. Troy licked the salt up from between her breasts and to her neck before grabbing the lime wedge. He took it out of his mouth before kissing the girl squarely on the lips. He stood back up and threw his hands in the hair, shouting out loud.

Chad immediately grabbed his arm and towed him away to a corner in the living room. He glared at him, being aware of the fact that he smelled like alcohol. "What the hell are you doing, man?!"

Troy laughed and pointed over to the dining room table. "Dude, did you see that? Oh, man. Tasty."

Chad pushed him backward. "Dude! You have a pregnant girlfriend sitting at home who trusted you to come here!"

"Oh, Gabriella doesn't need to know everything. It's not like I can do body shots off of her, anyway. She's too big," he said, waving his hand in the air dramatically.

"I can't believe you just said that. Are you really that drunk to be this stupid?" asked Chad, shaking his head.

"I'm perfectly…" Troy let out a small belch before chuckling. "…fine."

"What is wrong with you? Why are you acting like your father?" asked Chad.

Troy glared at him and pushed him. "Don't compare me to my father. I am nothing like him."

"Oh, yeah? You can't live without liquor and you are being a dick. That seems like a pretty good comparison to me, daddy's boy."

Troy suddenly threw a punch to Chad's jaw, knocking him to the ground. Chad stood up and pushed Troy against the wall before punching him in the face. It felt wrong to do that, but Chad had to do something to knock some sense into him.

Obviously it wasn't working as Troy pushed Chad to the ground and the two began beating each other senselessly. Before it could escalate, Taylor came running down, fully dressed. She grabbed Troy and pushed him aside before helping Chad up.

"What the hell is going on here?" asked Sharpay, approaching the scene.

Chad wiped blood from his chin and glared at Troy. "I found this idiot doing body shots off of a naked girl."

Taylor stared at Troy in shock, who didn't seem too bothered. "What?"

"Troy, what is wrong with you?" asked Sharpay, shaking her head.

Troy laughed. "Why is everybody freaking out about this? I didn't do anything wrong."

Sharpay walked up to him and slapped him, shocking everybody around them. "Troy, you are being a complete jackass right now. I'm actually becoming friends with your _pregnant girlfriend_. I will _not _let you break her heart, do you understand me?"

Troy leaned down towards her face, smirking. "We used to have fun together, Sharpay. Want me to do a body shot from your chest?"

Sharpay gasped and slapped him harder this time. "You bastard."

Taylor watched her walk away before going up to Troy and shaking her head. "Gabriella will never forgive you for this."

She slapped his other cheek and followed Sharpay.

Chad walked up to Troy and shook his head. "Gabriella needs to know."

Troy slowly walked towards him and got close to his face with a drunken sneer. "Tell her. What do I care?"

"You care about her, Troy. How much alcohol have you had tonight?" asked Chad. This was not his friend.

"I'm pretty sure he has had at least two bottles of liquor," said somebody from the crowd.

"I saw him drinking from a flask," said another.

Chad shook his head and pushed Troy backward again. "Gabriella doesn't deserve you, man. She is going to find out and when she does, you can kiss her and the baby goodbye because she is not going to want to be around this version of you."

"This version is me and all of me," said Troy. "When are you going to realize that? I'm always going to have my father's blood in me."

"So what? It doesn't mean you have to be like him. Be the guy that Gabriella fell in love with. Be the guy that is destined to be a good father. One that will put your own father to shame," explained Chad. "This version is _not _you."

Troy chewed on the inside of his cheek as he watched Chad walk away. He simply shook his head and grabbed his flask, taking another swig before disappearing into the crowd.

He had better things to do.


	5. Darkness: Part One

_Summary: With junior year nearing its close, the gang is experiencing new drama that could very well tear them apart; pregnancy, betrayal, and anger. They all must learn to grow up before they reach their senior year._

_I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

_Wildcat Fever_

_Darkness: Part One_

The past weekend hadn't been good for Troy and Gabriella. After the party, Troy had been coming home drunk and had been snapping at everybody around him. It had been a while since Troy and Gabriella had had sex or had even had a kiss. It was as if Troy was distancing himself from her and the baby. She was worried about him, but she was angry at him. She didn't know what to do.

Monday morning came around and it was as bleak as ever. Troy wasn't at the house that morning and neither was his car. Lucille had already left the house so Gabriella had no choice but to walk to school. Considering she was getting bigger by the day, according to her standards, it was difficult to make the long journey to school.

She walked up the steps to school and exhaled heavily, needing to catch her breath. Her legs were cramping and, with her feet swelling, nothing about the walk was healthy or relieving. It was just torture. She wasn't much of a walker, anyway.

Chad noticed Gabriella from the hallway and rushed over to her, putting an arm around her shoulder protectively. "Gabriella? Did you walk here?!"

Gabriella nodded and sighed. "Yes."

"Where the hell is Troy?" he asked, looking around angrily.

"I don't even know. I don't know who Troy is anymore. He keeps staying out all night and coming home drunk. He snaps at everybody. He's not my boyfriend," she explained.

Chad sneered and shook his head. The entire gang was still upset with Troy. They were afraid to tell Gabriella about the party and what had happened. She had enough problems to deal with. Anymore could be dangerous for her.

"I'm sorry I'm whining to you, Chad. I'm just worried about him," said Gabriella, walking with him down the hallway.

Chad rubbed her arm. "I know. It's okay. We're all worried about him."

As Gabriella rummaged through her locker, Chad swept his eyes over the hallways. He was hoping to see a sober Troy walk towards them, apologize for all that he had been doing, and promise to straighten up for his life and the baby.

But, Troy was nowhere in sight.

* * *

Gabriella stared at Troy's empty seat in class that morning, not being able to concentrate. She was scared that he could be dead somewhere, no matter how drastic it sounded. She could barely pay attention to the teacher's lecture. She even forgot what class she was in.

The door slammed open against the wall, startling everybody in their seats. Gabriella gasped at what she saw. It was Troy. His hair was ruffled out of place, his clothes were wrinkled, and he reeked. His eyes didn't meet hers as he shoved a note into the teacher's hands.

The teacher glared at him. "Mr. Bolton. You are late."

"Yeah. What else is new?" he fired back, shoving passed people to get to his seat.

A few students began murmuring at his outburst. The teacher walked over to him with her arms crossed over her chest. "Mr. Bolton, why are you late?"

"Does it matter? I'm here, aren't I?" Troy reached into his backpack and pulled out a small bottle of liquor.

Gabriella gasped at the sight. "Troy!"

He glanced at her and rolled his eyes, taking a swig of the liquor. "It's just vodka."

The teacher snatched it from his hands and pointed towards the door. "Leave. Right now!"

Troy chuckled dryly and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Gabriella shook her head. What had just happened? She needed to talk to him about all of this. This wasn't the Troy she knew. This wasn't her boyfriend and it definitely wasn't the father of her child.

"Ma'am?" Gabriella raised her hand. "Do you mind if I…"

The teacher sighed and nodded. "Go ahead. Maybe you can get farther than any of us can."

Gabriella nodded and left the room. She stared at the empty hallway and knew immediately where he would go. She turned a few corners here and there until she finally ended up at the doors that led to the roof. She held her stomach as she walked up the steps, feeling the chill of the air. She wrapped her jacket tighter around her and caught her breath when she saw Troy standing near the edge. He was looking out at the mountains.

"Troy."

He turned around and looked at Gabriella. "What?"

She was taken aback by his tone as she got closer to him. "Are you okay?"

"Peachy." He reached into his back pocket and produced his flask.

Gabriella stared at it in shock. "Troy! Haven't you learned anything? You can't drink that here!"

"Says who?" he scoffed.

"Everybody! What is wrong with you?!" she exclaimed.

"How about you chill out? I am doing nothing wrong," he defended, lifting the flask to his lips.

Gabriella shook her head and grabbed the flask from his hands. She held it close to her body as he stared at her angrily. "You're being stupid, Troy."

Troy glared at her angrily. "I'm just living life the way it's supposed to be lived! You are being a total nuisance, Gabriella. You won't let me have _any _fun whatsoever! Just because you are pregnant doesn't mean you can't have fun!"

"I try to have fun, Troy! Plus, you're pregnant too! This is _your _child, too!" shouted Gabriella.

"Fuck that! I just want to relive that party from Friday night. Damn, you should have been there Gabriella!" He paused and scoffed. "You would have been a downer anyway. But, don't worry. Those girls kept me occupied. It's not like you'd ever let me have liquor from your chest."

Gabriella stared at him in shock, her mouth hanging open. Troy had cheated on her? "Troy, please tell me you didn't."

"I did. I would do it all over again, too. Now give me the flask!" he shouted.

"No!" Gabriella backed away with the flask in her hands.

Troy went to grab for it, suddenly becoming aggressive. His arms and hands pushed her to the ground as he reached for the flask. It seemed to happen in slow motion as he grabbed the flask while Gabriella fell to the ground with a grunt. He stopped his movements and stared at her. He looked between the flask and her.

What was happening to him? He just pushed his pregnant girlfriend for some stupid flask. He admitted that he had stupidly cheated on her. This wasn't him. Who was he?

"Gabriella…" he stammered, shaking his head.

Gabriella struggled to stand up and stared at him angrily, clutching her stomach. "No, Troy. You stay away from me. I don't want you around me or the baby. It's over."

"Gabriella, please. I'm sorry," he murmured, walking towards her.

She backed away towards the exit. "No! Stay away from me, Troy!"

Troy watched her leave, his heart stunned. Gabriella just left him. She had banned him from seeing her and their child. He had nothing now. He stared at the flask and shook his head. If he had nothing, then he had nothing. What better way to cope than to drink?

* * *

Gabriella trudged through the hallway after that, wincing in pain. Her leg had received a scrape from the fall and she needed to get to the bathroom to get things cleaned up. She wanted to cry. She wanted to just scream. Troy had pushed her. He was drunk. He wasn't Troy anymore. He was a monster.

Chad, who had been rounding the corner, spotted Gabriella and her disheveled expression. He stopped her in the middle of the hallway, noticing how she wouldn't look him in the eye. "Gabriella? What's wrong?"

"It's Troy," she murmured.

Chad noticed the scrape on her leg and furrowed his brows. "Did you get hurt?"

She nodded. "He was drunk and I tried to take the flask away. He began telling me about the party Friday night and how he had cheated on me. He said he would do it again if he could. He pushed me to try and get to the flask."

Chad sighed sadly. "He told you about the party?"

Gabriella looked up at his tone, glaring at him. "You knew about that?"

He stayed silent, but wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Did Sharpay know? Taylor?"

He was still quiet, but that was confirmation enough for Gabriella. She had felt betrayed by Troy, but now this really was the cherry on top of everything. Everybody knew except for her. She really had nobody in her life that she could rely on. Everybody was a liar. It really hurt her more than they knew.

She pushed passed Chad and ran into the bathroom, refusing to speak or look at him. Chad watched her leave and sighed heavily, shaking his head. He only wished Taylor was here to help him out.

* * *

Taylor stood in the full length mirror, wearing only her bra and her underwear. She turned this way and that, looking at her stomach and her breasts. One seemed to be bigger than the other. Her stomach had a slight bulge, too.

"Ugh," she groaned, shaking her head at her appearance.

She knew what decision she wanted to make. She walked over to her bed and picked up the business card, staring at the name and number. She grabbed her phone and dialed the number quickly before placing her phone to her ear.

"Hello? This is Dr. Vulner, right?" Taylor smiled. "Yes, this is Taylor McKessie. I spoke to you a few days ago in person?" She nodded. "Yes, right. I'd like to make that appointment."

* * *

Chad was pissed as he walked down the sidewalk that evening. He was pissed at himself and he was pissed at Troy. He was mad at himself because he kept a major secret from Gabriella and now, she wouldn't talk to him. He was mad at Troy because he was being the biggest dick in the world to everybody around him. So, he decided to confront him for everybody else, especially Gabriella. She needed somebody.

Chad stormed after Troy, watching as he shot a few baskets on the blacktop at the park. He grabbed the basketball as it sunk through the net and held it under his arm, keeping a glare on his face.

"You are one sick bastard, you know that?" he accused.

Troy furrowed his brows, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Chad walked towards him slowly, pointing a finger at him. "You know exactly what I am talking about. You have a girlfriend that is pregnant and you are doing nothing about it."

Troy scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. Don't go there, Chad."

"Don't go there?" This was not his best friend. "Troy, what is going on with you? This isn't you."

Troy looked at him and laughed dryly, pushing him backwards. The basketball fell from his arm and bounced away. "Are you kidding me? You think you know who I am?"

"Troy..." started Chad.

"No!" exclaimed Troy, suddenly growing hysterical as his eyes held angry fire. "You have no idea who the hell I am, Chad. You don't know me or my family! Nobody does!"

"Gabriella knows you," said Chad softly.

Troy's expression changed to a dark one. "Gabriella has no fucking idea who I am. She never has and she never will."

Chad was speechless. This was not Troy Bolton. This was not Gabriella's boyfriend. This was a stranger. Troy Bolton would never speak this way towards Chad and would never speak like this when it came to Gabriella.

Who was this man?

"How about you stop being a dick and start being a man about things, huh?" growled Chad. "You are taking things way out of hand here. You are not the big man on campus if you are acting like this."

Troy started to tear up, swaying back and forth. "Gabriella left me, man. She doesn't want me to be around her or our baby. She hates me. I pushed her, too. I hurt her!"

Chad sighed, but watched him closely as he swayed more and more. He furrowed his brows with concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm worthless," he mumbled. He suddenly grabbed his head and shut his eyes. "I feel…I feel…"

It happened slowly as Troy suddenly collapsed on the blacktop. His eyes were closed and his mouth was open as he didn't move a muscle. Chad ran to him and checked his pulse like he had learned in health class one year.

No pulse.

"Damn, Troy. Come on!" Chad immediately whipped out his cell phone and dialed 9-1-1. "I need an ambulance. Fast!"

Darkness surrounded the two boys as Chad attempted CPR and waited for the ambulance. That was all that was left.

Waiting.


	6. Darkness: Part Two

_Summary: With junior year nearing its close, the gang is experiencing new drama that could very well tear them apart; pregnancy, betrayal, and anger. They all must learn to grow up before they reach their senior year._

_I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

_Wildcat Fever_

_Darkness: Part Two_

Troy felt awful.

Did he go to some party last night? How much did he drink? It felt like he had some kind of headache that felt much worse than a hangover. Why did he have a stomachache? It felt much worse than a normal ache. His mouth was dry, too. He needed water.

He flinched back a bit when he felt something plastic touch his lips gently. He warily opened his eyes. The blurry image came into focus until he saw the most beautiful girl in the world. It was Gabriella. She wasn't particularly smiling, but she was here.

"Drink," she murmured.

Troy sipped some water through the straw and sighed at how nice it felt as it soothed his throat. He watched her sit down in the chair next to him. She didn't hold his hand, though.

"How do you feel?" asked Gabriella.

"Like hell," he croaked. "I feel pretty sore."

"They basically had to pump your stomach," she explained. "Troy, what do you remember?"

He tried to think for a moment. "I don't really know. I was at the park trying to shoot some hoops when Chad came by. That's all I can remember."

"You collapsed on the blacktop, Troy. Chad tried to revive you before the ambulance came by," she said.

"You came to check on me?" he asked with a small smile.

"Of course."

Troy looked at her and remembered how much he had hurt her. His drinking problem had caused him to be a complete jackass towards the love of his life and his friends. No wonder she broke up with him. Who would want to be with someone like him, anyway? He had too much going on and it only caused the relationships around him to be destroyed.

"I'm sorry for everything, Gabriella. I wasn't myself. I obviously have a problem with drinking." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "After that shooting, I just felt completely numb. I hated my dad for what he did to you and to me and to us. He kept getting into my head, even when he was gone. That's when the drinking started. I tried to drink away the pain and it never worked. So, I drank more. I was just so mad at him."

Gabriella sighed. "Troy, I get why you felt that you had to start drinking. That shooting scarred me, too. But, I didn't change myself. I stayed the same." She glanced down at her growing belly. "God chose us to start a family, even at this young age. I've dedicated the rest of my life to becoming a good person for this baby, Troy."

"I know. I want to make my life better for the baby, too." Troy's voice started to break. "I just need your help."

She bit her bottom lip as tears formed in her eyes. She shook her head and refused to meet his eyes. "It's too painful, Troy. I…I just can't trust you anymore after what happened. I don't trust you to be around our child right now."

"Gabriella, please. Don't make this mistake," he pleaded.

Gabriella didn't want to leave Troy. But, she just couldn't handle his baggage at the moment. She was in love with this boy and their unborn child. The doctor's appointment was today and she wanted him to go so badly, but she just couldn't trust him. She couldn't even trust her own heart to be around him.

She turned to him and choked out a sob at the broken look on his face. A tear fell down her cheek. "Troy, I love you. So much. But, I just can't do this right now. I'm sorry."

Troy watched her run out of the room and shut the door. He was wrapped in silence as he clawed slowly at the blanket around him. His heart was literally in pieces and he didn't know if it would ever be repaired.

He just lost his love and his baby.

* * *

Sharpay held her hands against her ears, cringing. "Gosh."

She could still hear her parents arguing downstairs. Her hands were pressed down hard against her skin until it literally hurt, as if her head was going to combust. She didn't know what they were arguing about this time. Last night, it was about her mother burning the meatloaf. Last week, it was about her father going golfing.

Which he wasn't, obviously.

Sharpay knew what was going on with her parents' marriage. She watched it closely every day. Her mother drank too much, but she tried to hide it by taking energy pills or something. Her father never went golfing, either. Her father, whenever he went out, would always visit the strip club or see other women.

Their marriage was never perfect. She was pretty positive that she was a mistake. Sure, she got everything that she wanted. She had nice clothes, a nice house, and a lot of money. But, what did all that mean if she was just a mistake?

She stared at the bottle of pills that sat on her dresser. They were her mother's for anxiety. It wasn't like Sharpay was an addict that stole her mom's pills. The only thing she stole was the bottle with the pills inside. All she did was stare at it, but she never took any.

Though, she was tempted.

Her friends didn't even know that she had struggles. She hid it pretty well, but only because she felt she didn't even have a problem. She never took any. She never went crazy if the bottle spilled.

She just looked.

"You're such a son of a bitch!" shouted her mother, slamming the door behind her. Sharpay was pretty sure it was the bedroom door.

"I'm the husband of a bitch," muttered her father before slamming the front door.

She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. She finally had some silence, but her heart was still hammering. She had a major headache and she could still hear the screaming in her head.

"Maybe just one," she murmured, staring at the pills.

Her phone began to ring, making her jump. She sighed and answered it. "Hello?" She furrowed her brows. "Yeah. I'll be right there."

* * *

Gabriella sat on the bench in front of the doctor's office, keeping her jacket around her body. It was a bit cool today, but she wasn't that cold. She was just nervous. She was scared. What if there was something wrong with the baby? What if Troy didn't show up?

Troy.

She had broken up with him. She broke up with the love of her life. But, she couldn't trust him. She couldn't really be around him. She wasn't sure if he was really going to change. She would normally believe him, but she couldn't right now. Her heart was too confused.

"Gabriella."

She looked up to see Sharpay and stood up, smiling. "Hey."

Sharpay nodded and hugged her gently. "Hey. What's wrong?"

Gabriella sighed and glanced down, chewing on her bottom lip. "I have my appointment in a few minutes. I'm going to find out the gender of my baby." She smiled. "I want you there."

Sharpay choked back a sob as her eyes began to water. "What about Troy?"

"He is in the hospital. Plus, I don't think he is good enough to be here right now," she explained softly.

Sharpay looked at this lovely girl. She had never expected to be friends with Gabriella Montez. But, something in her heart changed. She finally realized after much too long that she needed to grow up. She couldn't be the ice princess for the rest of her life.

She nodded and smiled. "I'll be there."

Gabriella smiled and took Sharpay's hand, walking with her into the doctor's office.

* * *

Troy was finally released, but he never felt more trapped. He felt like he was completely isolated in his own little bubble that was suffocating him by the minute. He wanted to just cry. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to be around people. He didn't know what to do with himself.

He was alone.

He walked into the house, expecting to be alone. But, he wasn't. His mother, Lucille, was standing in the kitchen in her robe. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and she had a horrible expression on her face. She was angry.

"Troy Alexander Bolton! What the hell do you think you are doing walking in here during broad daylight?! I saw you _last night _and you are just _now _coming home?! Where have you been?!" she shouted.

Troy didn't even flinch. He was too broken. "Mom, I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? You're _sorry_?!" Lucille scoffed. She shook her head and threw her hands in the air. "That's pitiful, Troy! I need an explanation now!"

He couldn't take it anymore. He had been lying to his family, Gabriella, and himself. He lost Gabriella. He definitely lost himself. And, he had lost his family. He was alone. Before he knew it, he was crying and breaking down his walls for all to see.

"Mom," he choked out, tears spilling down his cheeks. "I was in the hospital. I collapsed in the park because…because I drank too much."

Lucille sobered up and stared at her son, one who had never really cried before. The only time he cried was when Jeremy had died. "You were drinking? Honey, I'm aware you drink when you party, but…"

Troy shook his head, pressing his fists into his eyes. "I started drinking more a couple of months ago. Ever since the shooting, I haven't been myself. It has scarred me more than you know, mom. I watched my father try to shoot Gabriella. Instead, he shot me!"

Lucille tried not to let her tears spill over, but she failed. She just listened and watched.

"I drank and I drank. I carried a flask with me, I acted out, and I was just stupid. Gabriella is pregnant and I am being a crappy father." Troy sniffled as he continued to cry. "I don't want to be like my father. I can't be like him. And, I'm sorry mom. I'm so sorry that I drank. I'm sorry that I collapsed. I'm sorry that I'm a big disappointment. But, now Gabriella is gone. She broke up with me. I just…" He sobbed out loud. "I just don't want to be alone."

Lucille went over to her son and hugged him, letting her tears fall on his back. She pulled back and held his face. "You are not alone. You have me and you still have Gabriella."

Troy could only nod.

"You will _never _be like your father. You will be a wonderful father to your child, honey. You have Gabriella as the mother of that child and you have a good heart. You have Gabriella to thank for that," explained Lucille.

"I need her back," he murmured, sighing heavily to regain his composure.

"The heart wants what the heart wants," said Lucille.

* * *

Later that evening, Troy had been alone again. It had been his choice, though. He just needed to be by himself. And literally, he needed to be himself. He needed to find the real Troy that he still had in his body. So, he did what he did best.

He played basketball.

He made every shot as he played and played for hours in the backyard. He kept playing until the sun started to set. He had changed into basketball shorts and a simple shirt and he was already ruining the clothes with his sweat.

He dropped the basketball and grabbed his water bottle, taking a quick swig. He stopped when he saw her. But, it wasn't a good sight. "Gabriella."

Gabriella stared at the love of her life. She wanted to cry, but she tried not to. She glanced down at her duffel bags and sighed. "Hi."

"What are the bags for?" he asked cautiously. His heart was pounding.

She sighed. "I'm going to stay with Taylor for a while."

"But, why?" Troy's nerves were building. He was scared. "Gabriella, I'm sorry. I'm going to change. I'm not that man anymore."

"I don't believe you right now, Troy. Even if I did, I can't trust you right now." Gabriella's tears started to form.

Troy walked over to her, causing her to drop her bags. He immediately enveloped her in his arms, just wanting to hold her. He pulled back and peppered her face with kisses.

Gabriella sighed softly at the feel of his lips on her skin, but shook her head. She gently pushed him away and took a step back. "Troy, don't. Please. It's just too hard right now. I can't handle all of this."

She sighed and reached into her purse. She pulled out a sonogram and handed it to Troy without looking at him. "We're having a son."

Troy took the sonogram and stared at it, his breath catching in his throat. He was going to have a little boy. A son. He was going to be a father. "A son."

Gabriella watched him look at the sonogram and wiped away a lone tear, sniffling. "Troy, I love you so much."

He looked at her, holding the sonogram close to his heart. "Are you saying goodbye?"

She nodded slowly as her heart broke into a million pieces. "Yes. I am. I still love you, Troy. I just can't trust you right now."

Troy watched as she quickly grabbed her bags and walked away. He looked down at the ground and sighed, lying down on the blacktop. He stared at the sonogram until the stars reached the sky. Even then, he continued to look at the sonogram.

He had a son.

But, he had a broken heart.

* * *

**You know? I really need to stop leaving my flash drive at work overnight. This little turtle flash drive is my lifeline! I almost left it again tonight, but I drove back because I have major things to work on. I still need to perfect chapter five of "Baby Steps", so that will be out late. That makes me feel really bad **

**Also, "At First Sight" is about to be edited by a professional editor who works for Entangled Publishing! It's almost ready for the book expo and I can't wait to finish it! I hope some of you guys can come see me at the expo! **

**Thank you for sticking by me even when I lose track of time, lose track of turtle flash drives, and when my chapters come out late. It's totally not intentional! **


	7. Without You

_Summary: With junior year nearing its close, the gang is experiencing new drama that could very well tear them apart; pregnancy, betrayal, and anger. They all must learn to grow up before they reach their senior year._

_I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

_Wildcat Fever_

_Without You_

One month.

One month into their junior year.

One month closer to their exams.

One month of pregnancy.

One month of doctor visits.

One month of anxiety pills.

One month of arguments.

One month of loneliness.

It felt much longer than one month.

Especially to Troy and Gabriella.

They were still separated. They didn't know each other anymore, but they still loved each other. They didn't even speak to each other. The last time they had spoken was when Gabriella had given him the ultrasound, revealing they were having a baby boy. It had been difficult, especially on their hearts. They both had no idea how to grieve or cope. It was just depressing.

Gabriella was nearing six months already, with it being closer to spring and closer to the end of junior year. Her belly had gotten bigger and she felt her baby boy kick every day. Though, she couldn't enjoy it all the way. Troy wasn't around anymore. She would see him at school, but they would avoid each other like the black plague. She just couldn't handle seeing him.

Obviously, neither could he.

She was still staying with Taylor. But, at night when her friend slept, she would stay up and cry. While her baby kicked and/or slept, she would cry. She'd cry over the fact that she was going to be a single mother. She cried because she was alone. She cried because she did not have Troy anymore.

She blamed herself, but she didn't know why. Troy was the one who was drinking. He pushed her for a stupid flask. Sure, he apologized and he was getting clean. She noticed throughout the month that he looked clean and free of alcohol. He looked happy. Well, as happy as he could be without her. He always had a sullen look on his face, but he looked healthy.

It was still his fault. She still couldn't trust him. She loved him, though.

She just didn't trust him.

That night, as she rubbed her swollen baby while lying in bed and staring out at the window from Taylor's bedroom, she cried. She let her tears hit the pillow. Her dreams were constantly filled with Troy and their baby. They were happy. They were a family. Then, she would wake up. It'd be dark. And, she was alone.

She knew she needed Troy. She loved Troy like crazy. Her heart told her to go back to him and forgive him. Love prevailed, right?

But, her head kept telling her to stay away from him.

She was used to using her mind with her studies so she could get good grades or go to a good college. But, was she supposed to use it when it came to love?

* * *

Sharpay slammed the door to her bedroom, running her fingers through her hair. They were at it again. Her parents were arguing. She didn't even care what it was about, anyway. Maybe it was about her father having another affair. Maybe it was about her mother's drinking or smoking. She didn't care anymore.

She stared at the pill bottle on her vanity and sighed heavily, shaking her head. "Damn it all."

She grabbed it and opened the bottle, spilling out what was left. She counted out a total of six. She didn't know how many it would take for her to black out. She just wanted everything to go away. She wanted the arguing to stop. She wanted everything to stop.

"Why is this happening to me? This needs to stop," she whispered.

She grabbed the pills and gulped them down dry before staring at the carpet. She felt normal. Maybe it would take a few minutes. Maybe she needed to go to sleep for it to work. She could still hear the shouting, but it was starting to drown out. She went to her bed and laid down.

She closed her eyes and prayed.

* * *

Gabriella clutched her head, feeling everything inside of her body spinning. She had a few beads of sweat on her forehead, but she ignored it and blamed it on her hot flashes. She quickly went into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water, enjoying the cold liquid running down her throat. She exhaled heavily with relief.

"Better," she whispered. She rubbed her stomach. "Mommy's okay."

She went back to the bedroom, expecting to ask Taylor if she wanted to hang out this afternoon. However, she stopped when she watched as Taylor looked at herself in the full length mirror. She was pushing up her breasts under her shirt to make them look bigger. She was sucking in her stomach. She was pouting her lips.

"Taylor?"

She jumped and removed her hands from her body as Gabriella walked into the room with furrowed brows. "Gabriella."

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she giggled nervously.

"It didn't look like nothing. Is everything okay?" asked Gabriella, sitting down on the bed.

"I'm fine," murmured Taylor, refusing to meet her eyes.

"Really? Look me in the eyes," demanded Gabriella.

Taylor looked her in the eyes, prepared to say the same thing. But, the words wouldn't come. She couldn't lie to her best friend, not after everything they had been through. She sat down on the bed as her eyes began to fill with tears.

"I was trying to see how I'd look with a flat stomach and big breasts," she murmured.

Gabriella stifled a laugh of disbelief. "Excuse me? Why in the world would you want to do that?"

"I was going to schedule to have surgery last month," revealed Taylor, choking back a sob.

Gabriella stared at her, stunned and upset. Her best friend wanted to have plastic surgery? "Are you crazy? Taylor, why would you do that?"

"Yeah. Why?" They both looked up in shock to see Chad at the doorway, staring at Taylor with angry brows. He shrugged, never changing his expression. "The front door was unlocked."

"Why do you want surgery?" asked Gabriella.

Taylor felt cornered. She had her boyfriend asking her questions and her best friend asking questions. It was humiliating, but she didn't want to lie. She promised herself that she would change and she wasn't going to break that promise.

She sniffled. "I want to get surgery so I could make myself look prettier."

Chad scoffed. "Are you crazy, babe? You are gorgeous. Why would you want to do that?"

"Because!" she shouted, standing up in aggravation. "I see all these pretty girls in school and I'm afraid that you will just get bored of me. You will want someone that is a lot prettier than me or something. I'm scared that what we have isn't enough."

Chad immediately grabbed her and kissed her. It was passionate and, from what Gabriella could see, it was filled with love. It made her miss the kisses she got from Troy. It made her miss the love she got from Troy. She watched Taylor and Chad with tears brimming her eyes.

"Taylor, you are beautiful. I love you, okay?" He gasped out a breath at his confession as he held her. "You are all that I want. I don't want anybody else. I promise."

"That's true?" she whispered.

"It's true."

Gabriella watched as they kissed each other again and quickly left the room. She didn't know what it was. She didn't know if it was their kiss or Chad's confession or the couple itself. But, her heart suddenly won over her mind.

Troy was still her Troy.

She was still his.

She would always be his.

And, this baby was his. It was theirs.

She was in love with him and he was in love with her.

She grabbed her bag, stopped to catch her breath as another bead of sweat hit her forehead, and left the house.

* * *

Troy was sweating, but not terribly. It wasn't that hot out, but it was still enough to make him sweat. He pretended to block an invisible opponent before sinking in the ball. He breathed heavily as the ball bounced away to the gate entrance. He took a quick swig of water before turning around to grab the ball.

He stopped.

"Gabriella."

She stood there in her beautiful, pregnant glory as she held the basketball. Though, she didn't look okay. She looked kind of clammy under her beautiful dress. It couldn't be the sun because it wasn't that hot. But, wait…

"Did you walk here?" he asked incredulously.

Gabriella nodded and stopped him from approaching her. "I'm fine. It wasn't that far."

He sighed. "So, what do you want?"

She winced at his tone. "Um…"

He closed his eyes in embarrassment. "I didn't mean for it to sound like that. How are you?"

It had been a while since they had spoken and it just felt awkward. But, it was slowly going away. "I actually wanted to talk to you. I kind of needed to get away from Chad and Taylor. It was getting kind of heavy."

Troy chuckled. "Glad that you escaped." He looked at her baby bump. "How is…the baby?"

She noticed how he refrained from saying 'our baby'. "He is fine. He kicks a lot." She let out a cough and touched her chest.

He furrowed his brows and walked towards her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I promise," she murmured.

"Let's sit down," he said, walking over to the patio chairs.

Gabriella followed him and tried her hardest not to let her pregnancy hormones get in the way as she admired his backside. "I miss you."

Troy stared at her from the chair, completely immobile. Was he dreaming? What did she just say? "Huh?"

She sighed and touched her forehead. "Troy, I don't know. My heart says one thing and my mind says another. But, after seeing Chad and Taylor, it just made me think. I miss you a lot. I love you, too."

"I miss and love you, too." Troy sighed. "But, what do we do?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I still don't know if I can trust you. I don't know what to do. I feel like I should trust you…"

"You _can_ trust me," reassured Troy. "Gabriella, I am so in love with you and our son. I would do anything for you guys."

"That may be, Troy. But, I don't know what to do about us. I need to think about both of us, okay?" She sighed and rubbed her forehead, closing her eyes.

Troy watched her curiously. "Gabriella…"

She felt even more sweat on her forehead. She had a headache, too. She felt nauseous and it felt like her heart was speeding up. "I feel funny."

"Come here," said Troy, standing up and walking over to her. "Sit down, baby."

Gabriella tried to grip his hand so he could lead her to a chair, but her fingers slipped from the sweat. She lost her footing and fell on to the blacktop, landing on her side with a grunt.

Troy cursed under his breath and ran to her side. "Gabriella, are you okay?"

He turned her over and saw that her eyes were closed. He put his fingers to her neck and barely felt a pulse or even a breath against his chest.

She was unconscious.

"Oh, shit. Gabriella! Baby, come on!" he shouted.

He couldn't lose her again. He had too much to lose at this point. He wouldn't be losing just Gabriella. He'd be losing their son.

* * *

Four hours of silence.

Four hours of cold air.

Four hours of antibacterial stench.

Troy had been waiting to hear from a doctor for four hours. He had been away from Gabriella's side for four hours and he was scared. He had no idea what was wrong with her. He figured she had just tripped, but when she didn't wake up? He just got scared. It was something else. Something was wrong with her.

He removed his hands from his wet eyes as he sniffled, watching the other people in the waiting room. What if she was dead? What if their baby was dead? They had plans. They were going to get back together, right? They had a family to raise.

What was he going to do now? Without her in his world, he'd be lost.

"Troy?" He looked up to see the doctor.

"How is she? What about our baby?" asked Troy.

The doctor sighed. "She has a severe case of pneumonia that has caused her to slip into a coma."

"I didn't think that could happen," he muttered, feeling his heart picking up speed.

Gabriella. A coma.

"It's possible with pregnant women." The doctor paused somberly. "It's severe enough that we need to do an emergency C-section for the baby."

"At six months?" Troy scoffed, feeling the fresh tears run down his cheeks. "Our son…"

"There is still a chance that your son will survive, but it is really slim. We will do all we can, though."

Troy didn't even know what the doctor was saying anymore. Their son could die. Gabriella was in a coma. He couldn't lose either one and he didn't want to. He wanted both. He wanted it all in his life.

This had to be a dream, right?

* * *

He had no choice but to watch. He couldn't save her. He just had to watch strangers save her. He couldn't do anything about it.

He looked down at the operating room through the window as they prepared Gabriella for her C-section. He was nervous.

Would the baby survive?

Would Gabriella survive?

Would _he_ survive?

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see Sharpay staring down at Gabriella, too. By the next few minutes, Taylor and Chad joined him in the room as they watched with tears as Gabriella's C-section was performed.

His tears came harder as he watched the doctors perform. He didn't want to see Gabriella be cut open, but he couldn't look away. He wanted to make sure that his Gabriella would be alive. He wanted to know that their son was going to survive.

How small would he be?

Would he be breathing?

How long would he have to stay here?

When would Gabriella wake up?

All of his questions hung in the air as he watched…

…and cried.


	8. The Broken Family: Part One

_Summary: With junior year nearing its close, the gang is experiencing new drama that could very well tear them apart; pregnancy, betrayal, and anger. They all must learn to grow up before they reach their senior year._

_I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

_Wildcat Fever_

_The Broken Family: Part 1_

It had been three whole days and Troy had never felt so alone, even when Gabriella had left him. She was still gone, but she was farther away from him. Her eyes were closed, she was breathing through a tube, and she was completely silent. Her entire room was quiet except for the monitors and their beeping. The television was on a low volume, displaying an old 60's movie.

Troy sat in the loveseat close to her bed, keeping one hand laced with her fingers loosely and holding a newspaper with the other. He hadn't been back in school since her accident. He wanted to make sure she was okay. If she woke up, he wanted to be there when her beautiful eyes opened.

"Mrs. Phillips won the lottery yesterday," he reported, pursing his lips in appreciation. "Not bad. What would you do with the lottery?"

He looked at her vacant face, watching as her chest rose up and down with every breath the tube gave her. He sighed and folded up the newspaper, placing it on the table before regaining her hand again in both hands.

"You know, I really wish you would wake up. Life isn't any fun without you here," he murmured, rubbing a thumb over her hands. He looked at the monitors, showing her heart and oxygen was healthy. "Why aren't you waking up? You're healthy. You need to wake up, baby."

The door opened slowly, revealing Chad with a binder and a few textbooks. He smiled lightly at Troy and frowned at Gabriella's state. "Hey. I brought the homework for you guys."

"Thanks," murmured Troy, never taking his eyes off of Gabriella.

Chad set the homework down on the table. "How is she doing?"

"Nothing has changed. She is still stable, though." He paused and sighed a shaky breath. "What if she doesn't wake up?"

"She will," said Chad. "Gabriella is a fighter. You know that. She'll wake up."

"Do you think she still loves me after what I put her through?" he asked somberly, tears brimming his eyes.

Chad patted Troy's shoulder. "That girl is in love with you, Troy. Everybody in the world can see it." He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. "I'll be in the cafeteria with the girls if you need anything."

Troy nodded and watched him leave before looking back at Gabriella. After a few minutes, he stood up and kissed her forehead gently. "I'll be right back. You know where I'll be."

He walked out of the room and down the hallway, taking the elevator to the next floor up. Once he got to the floor, he took a few steps down the floor until he glanced at the sign that said 'Maternity Ward'. He pushed open the doors and stopped at a large window, revealing multiple newborns in their cases. They were squirming, crying, and sleeping. A lone tear fell from his eye as he passed the room and took a few corners before stopping in front of a door. He began to dress his body with gloves, a gown, and a mask. He walked into the room and noticed that he was the only person in this room besides one little boy.

He walked over to the incubator and sat down next to it, staring at the tiny life form that was trying to survive so he could see the world. He placed his arms through the protective holes and gloves and gently stroked his tiny arm, watching his chest move up and down.

"Hey, son." He sniffled as tears started to form. "How are you doing today? The nurses tell me you are cooperating, which is good. That means you got some of my patience. Your mommy is doing okay. She is still sleeping, but I wish she would wake up. I know she is dying to see you."

He watched as his tiny eyes fluttered. He was dreaming. He wondered what color eyes he had. He looked so much like Gabriella. It broke his heart even more. "You need to wake up, son. We don't know what to name you yet. Both of you need to wake up. Daddy needs both you and mommy."

He couldn't take it anymore. He dipped his head down into his hands and began to sob for the family that he felt like he was losing.

"I can't do this alone," he whispered. He clasped his hands together and stared up at the ceiling and towards the heavens above. He wasn't much of a religious person. He went to church every now and then, but he had never prayed before. He had never believed if there was a God that could answer prayers. But, maybe just this one time, He would listen to his prayer.

"I _can't _do this alone," he started. "Gabriella is my whole world and I _know _I was a jackass to her and I was a jackass to my friends. But, I was lost. But, she loves me. I know she does. She is a good person and she doesn't deserve to be in this much pain. We are meant to be together. There had to be a reason for us to meet each other. If it was so our baby boy could be brought into the world, then fine. But, this beautiful boy needs two parents. Not one. He deserves a mother like Gabriella and I promise that, if you let her give me that chance, I will be the father that he deserves and the father that _I _deserve to be."

He looked back at his son as more tears fell. "Please."

* * *

Sharpay sat down next to Taylor as they grabbed coffee. They were both tired after spending the day at school, but they left early because they couldn't handle being there without Gabriella. It just felt incomplete.

"Do you think she will wake up?" asked Sharpay.

Taylor sighed. "She is a strong girl. She has to wake up. Have you seen the baby?"

Sharpay nodded with a small smile. "He is so tiny, but he is beautiful. I'm worried, though. What if he doesn't make it? What if they _both _don't make it?"

"They will." Taylor sighed and stared at her coffee. "I need to tell you something."

"Me too," murmured Sharpay. "I tried to commit suicide last week."

Taylor looked at her like she had two heads. "Are you completely delusional?! Why in the _hell _would you want to commit suicide?!"

Sharpay shushed her once people started looking at them. "It didn't work. I only took about six anxiety pills. I threw it up after about an hour."

"It doesn't matter. You could have died!" Taylor scoffed. "I can't believe you would do that. Why would you do that?"

"It's my parents, okay?" She shook her head, grimacing. "They won't shut up. Every day, I hear them arguing over the same thing. Cheating, drinking, smoking, yada yada. It gets so old. I can't take it anymore."

Taylor screwed her lips together and stared at her. "Come live with me."

Sharpay furrowed her brows, confused. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Come stay with me so your parents can hash out without you listening."

"What about Gabriella? She's staying with you, right?" asked Sharpay. She never expected this to happen, considering their history.

Taylor held a tiny smirk. "Once she wakes up and they go home with the baby, they are going to be back together. Everybody knows that."

Sharpay sighed. "I don't know, Taylor. You and I don't have really good history together."

"The past is the past," she explained. "All that is forgotten. So, quit making excuses and stay with me."

Sharpay finally relented and nodded once she saw Chad arriving in the cafeteria. "Okay. By the way, what were you going to tell me?"

"Oh. I was going to have plastic surgery," she said nonchalantly.

She snorted and rolled her eyes, sipping her coffee. "You're stupid."

* * *

Troy tossed out the gown, gloves, and mask outside the room and began walking back toward Gabriella's room. After praying for his broken family, he just stared at his son for a good thirty minutes. He kept watching as his chest moved up and down as if he wasn't even real. Like, he was plastic and air was going through him without any lungs to give it to. But, his son had lungs. He had a heart. He had everything. He was just too small.

But, he had to live. He had two parents that adored him. And, one who didn't know about him.

Suddenly, he was bombarded with rushing nurses and doctors. He stopped walking and watched as they ran into the room he was just in. He followed their footsteps with terror as he stared into the window, watching as they began to work on his son who seemed to be losing oxygen all together. They were shouting and giving orders and touching his child.

"What's happening?!" he shouted. "I was just in there. He is fine!"

One of the doctor's walked over to him. "You can't go in there right now."

"I need to know what is wrong," croaked Troy, clasping his fist to his mouth as more tears came.

The doctor sighed. "He is losing oxygen. His lungs aren't cooperating right now, but we will do all that we can to save him. But, you can't go in there."

Troy watched him leave and sunk down to the floor, burying his head into his knees as he sobbed and sobbed. Things were going terribly wrong. Gabriella wouldn't wake up and now their son could be dying. What if God didn't get his prayer? What if Troy didn't pray hard enough? What if his family wasn't worth it?

The noise ceased as he heard a small beeping that sounded pretty normal. He looked up to see the same doctor walking toward him with a small smile on his face. "He is going to be fine. That little boy has a pretty strong heart."

Troy exhaled, feeling like he was going to pass out with relief. "He is going to be okay."

"He has a strong heart, but he needs a strong father. God listens," he said before walking away.

* * *

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	9. The Broken Family: Part Two

_Summary: With junior year nearing its close, the gang is experiencing new drama that could very well tear them apart; pregnancy, betrayal, and anger. They all must learn to grow up before they reach their senior year._

_I have no affiliation to anything, anybody, or anyplace in the High School Musical series. This is purely for fictional and entertainment purposes._

* * *

_Wildcat Fever_

_The Broken Family: Part 2_

It had been three weeks.

Three whole weeks since Troy had nearly lost his son.

Three weeks since he had last spoken to Gabriella and she had spoken back.

It was pure torture not knowing what was going to happen next. He had no idea if their son was going to make it. He didn't know if Gabriella was going to wake up. Hell, he didn't even know if he was going to end up alone for the rest of his life. He wouldn't have a son and he wouldn't have a wonderful girl. He couldn't picture his life without Gabriella or their son.

The hospital staff had become pretty annoying. Every time they passed him, they would offer their condolences. It wasn't much, really. They would say they were sorry like they knew exactly what he was going through. They'd pat him on the shoulder or simply tell him to have faith.

It made him laugh.

He had faith, but it didn't seem to be doing much. He didn't need condolences from people who had no idea who he was. Had they ever been through something like this at the age of seventeen? Had they ever had to worry about their premature son who might not make it?

They just needed to stop.

That day, he had been spending the entire time at the hospital. It had become is second home now. He had a bag of clothes from his mom in the corner of the room and he slept in the sofa chair. It was pretty comfortable as it could get, but he didn't want to leave his girl and their son. Gabriella was still asleep and they basically referred to her snooze as a coma. Their son was doing better, though. His heart was beating at a good pace and he was getting oxygen into his lungs.

But, Troy was still worried.

That afternoon, he stayed by his son's side for a good hour. He sat in a chair next to his incubator and watched him breath. He was so small. If he survived, would he have some sort of disability? Would he have problems with his heart or his lungs for his entire life? How tall would he be? Would other kids like him? Would he be able to play sports? What if he wanted to play the piano?

"He is improving," murmured a soft voice.

Troy turned and smiled at his mother, standing up to hug her. "Hey."

Lucille smiled at her son and looked at her grandson. "How is he?"

"He is doing better. I can't help but worry though," he explained.

Lucille laughed lightly. "That's the parent in you talking. No matter what you are always going to worry about your child. I still worry about you."

Troy sighed. "They keep saying there is a one in a million chance he will survive."

"He's a Bolton boy," said Lucille. "He's going to survive."

Troy thought about her words somberly, looking down at his feet. "Any word from dad?"

Lucille was afraid he would ask her. Either way, she would have to tell him. She had planned on it during the visit, anyway. "Yes. He called this morning."

"What did he want?"

"He wants to come home. He promised he would change," she said.

Troy scoffed lightly. "And you said…?"

Lucille paused for a moment and crossed her arms across her chest. "I told him no." She looked at him for a reaction, but he was completely sober. "Is that okay?"

"Why do you ask?" he mumbled, looking at his son as his eyelids fluttered.

"I don't want his influence on you again," she said. "I don't believe him when he says he has changed. He doesn't deserve to be around you or your newborn son. I don't need you going back to what you were."

Troy shook his head and sighed. "I won't go back to that person. I'm glad you told him not to come home. He just needs to stay away. He's evil."

Lucille nodded and put her arm around his shoulder. She looked at her grandson. "I'll make sure he doesn't come back around you and your family."

"I don't want him coming back around you, either." Troy looked at her.

"He won't." Lucille smiled at him. "So, have you thought of a name yet?"

Troy shook his head. "I don't want to name him yet. Not until Gabriella wakes up."

"What have they said about that?" asked Lucille.

"They said we have to wait on her. She'll wake up on her own, but it's not becoming likely. Her fever is still high and it affected her a lot." Troy sighed. "But, I'm holding out hope. I'm not giving up."

Lucille looked at her son and smiled, feeling proud. She never expected her son to turn out this way and it made her happy. When Jeremy had died, he had taken a wrong turn and she would worry about him. But now, since he met Gabriella, his life had turned out for the best. She was so proud of him.

"Good."

Troy looked at his son and sighed. "Does faith work?"

"What do you mean?" asked Lucille.

"When he flatlined, I prayed. The doctors managed to save him, but I've been praying for Gabriella. She hasn't woken up. Maybe I'm not praying enough," he explained.

Lucille hugged her son. "Praying never has a limit. Gabriella is a strong girl. She's going to make it."

They suddenly heard a commotion outside the doors and looked through the window, seeing doctors and nurses rushing down the hallway. Troy went outside, watching them cut a corner. His heart suddenly went wild.

"Don't go there…" he muttered.

"She's in room 314!" shouted a doctor.

"Shit," he whispered, rushing after them with his mother.

* * *

Sharpay grabbed her duffel and stared at her room. The bed was completely made, but her favorite pillow was gone. Her closet doors were closed, but all of her clothes were packed. Her dresser held no dust, but her makeup was with her clothes.

This was it.

She couldn't stay here anymore, not with her parents of all people. It wasn't a healthy place anymore and she needed to revamp her lifestyle for the better. She had already made bigger changes these past couple of months, but she needed to make this change to complete her lifestyle turnaround.

She shut off her bedroom lights and headed down the stairs, stopping in the middle of the foyer. She peeked around the corner into the living room, seeing her parents were arguing once again. They were pretty close to each other that she was sure it would happen again, but she didn't care anymore. She didn't want to get in the middle of it again.

She shook her head and left the house, making sure to slam her door on the way out. She highly doubted, though, that they would notice even that.

* * *

Troy pressed his hands against the window as he finally skidded to stop, watching as doctors and nurses began performing on Gabriella. Her heart wasn't beating. She wasn't breathing. She was dying. He watched as they prepared to slip a breathing tube down her throat. He winced, knowing she would never like that.

A doctor was handed a defibrillator. He rubbed the pads together. "Clear!"

Gabriella's chest jumped up, but her heart monitor was one long beep.

Troy's eyes filled with tears as he formed fists on the wall. "Come on."

"Again! Clear!"

_ZAP!_

Nothing.

Troy couldn't face it anymore. He turned away from the window and slid down to sit against the wall. Nurses passed him without a second look. Doctors raced to other rooms. Other patients stared at him warily. He simply stared off into space and sobbed into his hands for the girl that he loved and lost.

* * *

**Author's Note: I have a message for you all on my website .com. I'd really like for you all to read it. I love you, guys.**


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